SPEAKERS BUREAU

Establishing a Speakers Bureau

Speakers bureaus have long been used by corporations,
agencies and non-profit groups to offer presentations to the community. A speakers bureau
is a core group of speakers (either staff or volunteers) who are available for community
meetings or gatherings. Creating your own speakers bureau offers another opportunity to
educate the public and act as a community resource.

Determine who will staff the bureau. Consider employees who
are interested, or who possess the appropriate traits. Good speakers are enthusiastic
about the public education program, interact well with people, and have a working
knowledge of the issue. Volunteer speakers are another option if you are concerned about
employees taking time away from work to make presentations. Suggestions on how to generate
volunteer presenters are discussed later in
this section.

Once you have selected the presenters for your speakers
bureau, create an outline for the presentation. To start the outline, make a list of
information you want to give the audience. Then put each piece of information into a
category (e.g., what to consider when buying pesticides, proper application techniques,
and integrated pest management practices). Next, place the categories in a logical order.
You obviously want to talk about use of the products before disposal. Once these elements
are in order, create an opening and a conclusion for the presentation.

Once you have a tentative outline for the presentation and
determine whether employees or volunteers will staff the bureau, then you are ready to
look at the technical aspects of the presentations.

Evaluation of Method

Pros: This is an effective way to reach the
specified target audiences when appearing at community gatherings or meetings. This option
offers the chance to speak to a captive audience, and gives the presenter the chance to
explore pesticide use in greater detail than would be possible at other special events.

Cons: Sometimes the meetings will have a
small number of attendees. This may decrease the value of a speakers bureau, given the
time and effort required. Locating and training presenters to staff the bureau is also
time-consuming. If district employees staff the speakers bureau, they will need time off
from their regular duties.